Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What is this oily crap on my print of Green Zone?

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Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 07-07-2010, 04:25 PM:

Dear Film-Tech,

What is this crap?

Very wet and oily, wipes off green as pictured. Smells like exploded battery, not at all like xecote or machine oil. Thinking about running it through some dry media.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 07-07-2010, 04:44 PM:

Mike, is it a brand new print? If so, might be chemicals from the lab (they goofed and didn't wash it after processing, in which case get a replacement print 'cuz that one's gonna go bad real fast.)

If not then who knows what it could be.

I don't think dry media will help much, and I wonder if applying FilmGuard right away would help or hurt. Maybe Brad knows.

Posted by Jonathan Smith (Member # 5609) on 07-07-2010, 05:30 PM:

I don't know of any film processing chemicals that are green, sorry. Developer is kind of amber brown. Bleach is red. Fixer is clear (dries white).

I don't know though. Could conceivably be some sort of lubricant.

Run it through a film cleaner a few dozen times if you can't get a new one?

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 07-07-2010, 05:34 PM:

Mike,

Does it smell like anti-freeze?

Perhaps there was a burst line in someones cooling system and the film got sprayed.

KEN

Posted by Jonathan Smith (Member # 5609) on 07-07-2010, 05:55 PM:

Well, it probably wouldn't be from a film processor. They use heaters, not any sort of AC.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-07-2010, 06:35 PM:

Definitely run it through some dry media. Maybe even do it twice (after changing the media, of course). Then try Filmguard. It looks like a used print since I see a frame attached to the leader/tail.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 07-07-2010, 08:27 PM:

Used. Has a green QC sticker from Technicolor dated 7/2/10. Seriously, do they actually look at the prints when they send them out? I've rejected more green stickered prints than I can count.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 07-07-2010, 08:44 PM:

Maybe some of the green zone has melted out of the print from the summer heat.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 07-07-2010, 09:51 PM:

Is the stuff evenly distributed over the surface of the print like it happened during projection/winding or is it predominately on one side (edge) which might indicate that the film was dipped in something while it was rolled up?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 07-07-2010, 11:43 PM:

What does it look like on screen? Are you sure that it isn't just projector oil?

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 07-08-2010, 12:44 AM:

I'd be pretty confident it's just oil. It's an old release...who knows what sort of equipment it's been through.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 07-09-2010, 05:13 PM:

Since it's a used print, John is most likely correct. The combination of all the different oils (and who knows if anyone tried using Purdy's FG knockoff on it?) makes for the mess you have.

I still have my doubts that a dry media would help (probably wouldn't hurt though) maybe if the dry media can clean enough off then a FG treatment will cure the ills.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-10-2010, 02:57 AM:

Actually I'm surprised no one gave Kenneth's comment more thought. That could very well be the case.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 07-10-2010, 01:36 PM:

I saw Kenneth's comment, it is a good possibility, but my last experience with a coolant leak on film resulted in the emulsion peeling off of the film as it was stuck together pretty good.

Not to say that it couldn't turn out like this though...my experience was back in the day before mylar. [Smile]

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 07-10-2010, 08:45 PM:

Well, I'm not sure what anti-freeze smells like, so I cannot answer that question. Visually, the reel in question does not look bad, but the reels sounds harsher when it's running through the gate, the opposite of the nice whir you get when running film-guard. It also leaves a gunky green residue on the gate similar to print shedding, but wetter. We have decided to not use this print.

Posted by Emma Tomiak (Member # 1862) on 07-11-2010, 12:04 AM:

Anti-freeze has a very sweet smell, almost sickeningly so. It also tastes sweet, and does not feel oily to touch.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-11-2010, 12:33 AM:

Most oils will attack the top layer first
My suspision is that it is old projector oil